The Astronauts of Artemis II Aren't Paid As Well As You Might Think

The four brave astronauts of Artemis II are on their way back to Earth after successfully traveling around the far side of the moon. Following the news that they're making their return to Earth after a history-making voyage, some people are wondering how well the astronauts are being compensated for this dangerous mission.

Given the incredible level of training and expertise required to become an astronaut, here's what we know about how well the astronauts on Artemis II are being compensated.

Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen have marked their names in the history books, but that doesn't make them wealthy. NASA reports that the salaries for the astronauts are $152,258 per year, with Canadian astronauts being paid a similar amount. While that's not a small number, it certainly isn't one that reflects the years of training that went into this mission.

While the salaries are pretty low, though, astronauts' lodging, meals, and transportation is also provided, which means that they don't have to spend that salary on things like a mortgage or a car payment. Instead, that salary is theirs to spend almost entirely as they please, which means that it is substantially higher than it might seem on paper. Given how few people in the world are capable of doing what they can do, though, it still seems like they're being underpaid.

Although that low salary might seem like a deterrent, it hasn't reduced interest in actually becoming an astronaut. In September of 2025, NASA announced that it had accepted just 10 candidates from more than 8,000 applicants.

There is no single path to becoming an astronaut, and the four astronauts on board the Artemis II each have their own specialties based on their backgrounds.

Wiseman has a degree in computer and systems engineering, and worked as a pilot in the Navy before joining NASA. Koch has a bachelors and masters in electrical engineering, trained at NASA, and was working as an electrical engineer before she was selected for this mission. Glover also worked in the Navy before joining Artemis, and Hansen has a degree in physics and served the the Canadian Royal Air Force.

While it's fair to say that having some experience in the air is good, you can come to NASA with a variety of different areas of expertise, and that's part of why people are chosen for certain missions. Artemis II is not the most amazing mission that NASA has ever been on, but it is a reminder of what mankind is capable of, and a hopeful signal about what science can still do.

The astronauts on board Artemis are experiencing something very few people have ever experienced, and that's clearly part of the appeal. The mission is dangerous, but it gives you a chance to see the world you live on from a distance, one that could fundamentally change how you experience the world itself.